Vandalism acts against TACC
The Turkish American Community Center (TACC) issued the following statement condemning the acts of vandalism against our cultural center and insulting our US flag by turning it upside down and replacing our well maintained one with tattered one late last night in front of our center.
We the Turkish American Community Center condemn the act of vandalism on our building and insulating our US flag by someone replacing our well maintained and displayed US flag with a tattered one in front of our community center. Any act of vandalism is deplorable. But vandalism against a cultural center and places of learning, are particularly cowardly and hateful.
We are profoundly concerned that it was our US Flag and our Turkish American cultural center that were targeted in these attacks. It reminds us that the threat of hate is still very much exists here even in the heart of our township. Acts of hate and bias like this have no place in our city or our township.
This kind of bigotry hateful act and insulating our flag the stars and strips does not belong anywhere and it certainly does not belong in our city or township.
We don’t believe this is any kind of trend, but don’t feel there’s anything random, we think it is isolated, but certainly it causes concern. We take this really seriously, but at the same time, we don’t want to overreact. We are working very closely with our local police to find the one’s who are responsible of the hateful crimes against our cultural center.
We have been in our community for over 25 year as integral part of our community and we have never hung our American flag that was being flown upside down or tattered in front of our community center building. The Turkish American community is a minority among minorities, but with pride second to none in our deep love and loyalty to these great United States of America our new home. Our beliefs in country, liberty, fairness, charity, democracy, are not merely words or passing thoughts. They are tangible rocks of granite, permanent and unshakeable, as clear to us as the ground we walk upon, serving ultimately to define us. We offer our labors in maintaining the fundamental principles of American and Turkish freedom and democracy which are firmly entrenched, and remain undiminished in our hearts.
We are calling on our neighbors to reach out to us if you have seen something to say something and to reject intolerance. The wave of vandalism may be an ugly case of déjà vu. All forms of racism, bigotry, and vandalism are unacceptable and completely contrary to our American fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
